Maine 1st District Rep. Chellie Pingree says the federal grant was awarded to the Maine Port Authority for a new "tug-barge'' design to meet the needs of Maine shippers.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) _ U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine says $150,000 has been awarded for design work on a new type of container ship to transport cargo between Portland and New York.

Pingree said Monday that the federal grant was awarded to the Maine Port Authority for a new ``tug-barge'' design to meet the needs of Maine shippers. She says she hopes the ship can be built in Maine.

This spring, the company that was providing container service to Portland announced it was ceasing operations.

Pingree said the goal is to restore regular container service between Portland and the ports of New York and New Jersey. The Maine Port Authority plans to partner with a private company to design and build a new vessel to restore service on the route.